"Dendrites—the branches that cover a neuron’s cell body—were once
believed to function primarily as signal conductors, relaying
information between nerve cells. Recent evidence has suggested that
dendrites can also respond to stimuli, but it was unknown whether action
potentials generated by dendrites were integrated into the signals that
the neuron sent to receiving cells. Researchers have demonstrated that
dendrites had electrical responses, or dendritic spikes, to visual
stimuli in vivo and that these spikes enhanced the output of the neuron.
Their work was published this week (October 27) in Nature." - see more at: http://www.the-scientist.com//?articles.view/articleNo/38060/title/Cortical-Computing/